General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also an accent shrub.
Availability:
Grown by one or two native plant nurseries in Florida.
Description: Small shrub. Leaves small, shiny.
Dimensions: About 1-2 feet tall. Spreading from underground stems (rhizomes) and forming clumps as broad as tall.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Eastern North America west to Louisiana and south to Palm Beach and Collier counties; very rare south of Martin and Lee counties.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of suggested ZIP codes from South Florida north to southern Brevard, Osceola, Polk, and Pasco counties.
Map of ZIP codes with habitat recommendations from the Monroe County Keys north to Martin and Charlotte counties.
Habitats: Pinelands and scrubby flatwoods.
Soils: Moist to dry, well-drained sandy soils, without humus.
Nutritional Requirements: Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils.
Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.
Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: White to pinkish.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy.
Flowering Season: Spring.
Fruit: Shiny black drupe.
Comments: See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
